The Canary List

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer is an interesting and easy read… it is on the darker side, talking about the forces of evil without being too creepy and scary. Crockett Grey and Jaimie Piper are drawn into a mystery that they don’t understand. Crockett, especially, is completely baffled by all that is going on.




At the end, things are finally starting to make sense, but the conclusion is a little bit unsatisfying. I am left wondering what the truth really is. It could go either way. Some people like that kind of cryptic-ness, but I personally like to have solid answers to my questions.



I was given this book free from Multnomah Waterbrook Press is exchange for an honest review.

Love and Respect

Love and Respect -The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs-by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is a good book for any married couple to read, especially for anyone who hasn’t heard about the love and respect principle. The basic concept is that men need to feel respected by their wives, and wives need to feel loved by their husbands. If a woman doesn’t show respect to her husband, he will have a hard time showing love to her, and vice versa. It’s easy for a couple to get trapped in a vicious cycle of not showing proper love and respect for their spouses. The cycle needs to be broken, and Dr. Eggerichs shows in this book examples of proper love and respect as well as what it looks like to not respect your husband properly, or to not love your wife the way you should.




I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their marriage in any way.



I was given this book free by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

For Men Only- A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women by Shanuti and Jeff Feldhahn

This book is a quick read, and is very easy to comprehend and relate to. As a woman, I found that the advice was pretty relevant- this really is the way a lot of us are. However, among all the women surveyed, there were also plenty that weren’t exactly like the majority, so it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all solution. I was impressed by the research that went into the writing of this book.

My husband found this book helpful as well. We had both read the related book For Women Only and we often found ourselves asking the other “Is this how it really is for you?” as we read one book or the other, and surprisingly, it often was. We learned things we didn’t know or really “get” before.

There are a lot of relationship and marriage books out there. It’s hard to say which ones are the best, but I think it’s good to read books like these on occasions just to be reminded of the areas in our marriages that could improve. I would give For Men Only 4.5 stars out of 5

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Lazarus Awakening by Joanna Weaver

I requested this book to review, looking forward to seeing what Ms. Weaver had to say about the love of God, and growing in a relationship with Him. For some reason, though, I found it really hard to connect with this book, and I didn’t really identify with the Lazarus part of it. It almost seemed like she was trying really hard to make Lazarus fit into the book, and it didn’t really hold my attention.

It does have a lot of good thoughts in it. There are bits and pieces that grabbed me and spoke to me, but overall it wasn’t my favorite.

One thing I really like is that my book had a companion Bible Study with it. Perhaps when I do the study I will get more into the book. I read some other reviews, and it seems like most people really enjoyed the book, so I may be the exception. I give it 3 stars.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

The Goodness of God

It was really good for me to read The Goodness of God by Randy Alcorn. I don’t know if I would have been ready for it a year or so ago when I was in the middle of my battle with grief or not, but I do know it was helpful for me to read it now and reflect on the good that God has brought through tragedy.




I can’t say that this book answered all my questions, or that everything made perfect sense to me, but there were several light bulb moments for me as I read through it. It also opened the door for some further discussion with my husband.



Do you ever wonder why a loving God can allow suffering and evil in the world? Then you should read this book. It may not completely answer that question for you, but it will give you a fresh perspective and a lot to think about.



*I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Outlive Your Life

I always enjoy Max Lucado’s book. He has an interesting, down-to-earth way of writing. This book, Outlive Your Life, is no exception. He encourages his readers to make a difference in the lives of others. Be kind to those less fortunate. Help others where you can. Don’t turn your back on anyone.


Read this book if you want to be challenged to get out of your own little corner of the world and get involved in the lives of others. You never know how far-reaching the effects of doing what you can may be.

What if we all did a little more? What if we all loved a little more? Cared a little more? What if all of God’s people did what they could to help others? What a difference we could make! Even the smallest things can have a great impact when done with a heart of love!



I would highly recommend this book to others to read. It’s written in an easy to read style, but the message is something we would all do well to take to heart. And if we do, we will never be the same!



Booksneeze provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A devotional for couples

Love and War: Devotional for Couples by John and Stasi Eldredge is a short book designed for couples to read together during an 8 week period . I look forward to going through it with my husband. Reading through it, I found it interesting enough, but something seemed to be missing. Then I realized that the authors have written a book called Love and War that this devotional is based off of. I am guessing that the two books would go well together, but I have yet to read the original book.




This book stresses the importance of first having a close relationship with Jesus Christ, which is something that is absolutely vital to enjoying marriage the way God intended. It stresses the importance of commitment to your marriage, and committing yourself to making your marriage all it can be. It reminds us that falling in love is only the beginning- we need to choose, over and over, to love our spouse, even when it’s not easy. Men and women are so different that we can’t expect marriage to be easy, but our differences complement each other, and we complete one another.



I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.